Asma Maryam Ali

When butterflies leave their silk palaces
The scent of the garden blows towards Heaven’s way.
Like the toils of man,
Those who work to tomorrow
Will not miss the dreams of yesterday.

                                             ‘When Butterflies Leave’ by Yusuf Islam, 2006

Have you heard ‘An Other Cup’ by Yusuf Islam? Its very interesting. I like this piece because it reminds me of another saying quite like it, and both resonate with me. Also, imagine being that butterfly whose very nature directs it to something so wonderful and grand, though it has d no idea what that is. Its silk palace is one reality, the garden is another, and heaven is another still.

The title, ‘An Other Cup,’ says so much about what we hope we can achieve here in North America, which is to be that ‘other’ (in a sense) and to be firmly rooted here at the same time. When I listen to the songs I hear the sincere voice of my brother singing his experience of being a ’western’ muslim in the most honorable and universal terms. Where else can we find that? Not everyone may like his singing, his lyrics or the very ‘Cat Stevens’-like music, but we may appreciate the meaning behind his words and his music.

You can find a review of the CD here:

http://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/album/12273731/review/12285347/an_other_cup

You can hear a bit of the CD here:

http://www.myspace.com/yusufislam 

Feel free to share what you think!

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He it is that cleaveth the day-break (from the dark): He makes the night for rest and tranquillity, and the sun and moon for the reckoning (of time): Such is the judgment and ordering of (Him), the Exalted in Power, the Omniscient. (6:96)

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Do you know truth?

Do you know truth?
–

January, 2004

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The beloved of Allah , Muhammad, may Allah ’s peace and blessings be upon him, said,

“Make things easy and do not make them hard, and cheer up people and do not repel them.”

Tonight I spoke to someone who was there just to make things easy for me. How wonderful this world would be if we were there just to make things easy and cheer up one another.

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About strength… we may push our bodies to demonstrate talent and ability, but real strength is about how much we will push our souls to do the right thing; to do justice in all spheres of life.

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Last night I received my red-stripe in taekwondo. It was tough. Achieving a black belt has been a dream of mine since my teens, but as I get closer to it, the whole endeavor gets more challenging. What’s challenging is not the training itself, but that the testing always comes with a test of my spirit, my intentions and my vision. After all of the pain and intensity, one wonders where she is going with it all, and whether her spirit can take her further still, and it can. And so, I have come to measure my success as a human being by the discipline, bravery and perserverance I apply to tae kwon do. One of my greatest wishes is to have many other people adopt this spirit too, so that they can sustain me when I get tired, and so that they can go that much more of the distance, God-willing :)

Here’s an awesome video-recording of the pattern I had to do at this stage:

Although tae kwon do means a lot to me in one respect, it is a culture in itself, and each movement, pattern and belt has its own meaning. Here are the meanings for you and for me, and may Allah SWT help me to live up to them, ameen.

White signifies a birth, or beginning, of a seed. A white belt student is a beginner searching for knowledge of the Art.

Yellow signifies the first beam of sunlight which shines upon the seed giving it new strength with the beginning of new life. A yellow belt student is given his/her first ray of knowledge, opening his mind, from an instructor.

Green signifies the growth of the seed as it sprouts from the earth reaching toward the sun and begins to grow into a plant. A green belt student learns to further develop and refine his/her techniques.

Blue signifies the blue sky as the plant continues to grow toward it. A blue belt student moves up higher in rank just as the plant grows taller. The light feeds the plant so it can continue to grow. The student is fed additional knowledge of the Art in order for his/her body and mind continue to grow and develop.

Red signifies the red-hot heat of the Sun as the plant continues growing toward it. A red belt student is higher in rank, he/she acquires more detailed knowledge and, just as the plant grows slowly toward the Sun, so the red belt student learns to be more cautious as his/her knowledge and physical abilities increase.

Black signifies the darkness beyond the Sun. A black belt seeks new knowledge of the Art. As he/she begins to teach others, he/she begins planting new seeds, his/her students, many of which will take root deep into the Art, blossom and grow through the ranks in a never-ending process of self-growth, knowledge, and enlightenment.

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This movement is amazing. Its the so-called ‘teen modesty movement’ whereby teen women are trying to dress modestly in order to regain the respect and understanding they deserve. I guess we expected it. What amazes me about the movement is that is truly grassroots; its based on the history, the sentiments, the aims and priorities of women in North America. Sadly, and yet so wonderfully, we have no claim to it. We can’t simply say that they’re turning to Islam, but perhaps they’re finding islam in something completely natural.

 May Allah SWT guide them.

Check out these sites. When I first saw them I thought that someone had taken my Islam and my da’wah right out from under my nose. We have only to live up to them now.

http://www.modestyzone.net/

http://www.modestbydesign.com/Bridesmaids/

http://modestapparelusa.com/

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This  week has undoubtedly been one of the most stressful of my life alhamdulillah. Praise be to Him, for none of it was bad or ugly in itself. It was just challenging. I often find that the most wonderful and blessed things may come at the most challenging times in life. I believe that this is Allah SWT squeezing all the goodness out of us, like a hand to an orange. (Of course this depends on what we have in us to give). A small example is all of the physical and emotional stress that went into moving out of our old home, in which, alhamdulillah, I have spent many fantastic years with my family. At the same time, I felt as though I was making a clean break with the heartrendering and regretable moments spent there. Is this a new phase, I wonder. Similarly, major changes are happening at work, I have reconnected with my family in Trinidad after two long years,  and I have made life-changing realizations which I was waiting on for months. All of this amidst the worries, allergies, tears and tiredness of one week. Praise be to the One who wanted me to grow stronger, put life in perspective, and move forward.

“And among His Signs in this: thou seest the earth barren and desolate; but when We send down rain to it, it is stirred to life and yields increase. Truly, He Who gives life to the (dead) earth can surely give life to (men) who are dead. For He has power over all things.”
(Al-Qur’an, 41:39)

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This week the little girls at school threw a wonderful party for me in our schoolyard under a tree.  They decorated the tree with rings of paper, spread some sweets on the table, and made gifts of their old toys for me. Then they made me wait outside with my eyes closed (until recess was almost over :) and walked me over to the tree where they all shouted, ’surprise!’ Seeing them sitting there around the table, with sweet smiles spread from ear to ear in pride, was one of the most precious sights I’ve ever beheld. I think they threw the party because they like to see me, and they like for me to hug them and show them love, and they wanted to return that somehow. They were so excited to give this gift to me.

To show them how much I appreciated what they had done, I gave them little gifts and handmade cards. They were very excited to receive what I gave them, but a day after giving them these gifts they didn’t seem as excited to see me smile at them or treat them affectionately. I was very surprised at this. I think, and Allah SWT knows best, that this might be because I translated all that they felt and had done for me into little trinkets of appreciation. I had turned something immaterial into a thing of material worth, which was worth much less.

 Sometimes I do the same thing with my deepest feelings. I struggle to put my sentiments, thoughts and dreams into words, only for the sake of expressing them, because perhaps it is better to share them. But I feel that when I do, they lose their wings.

 Its that struggle we sometimes experience when we have this great sense of appreciation and love for another human being, but when we tell them, we feel as though we’ve lost a part of it all. Is it because we’re insecure? Isn’t it better to tell people how grateful we are, before its too late? Is it better to share our dreams and sentiments, or to keep them in?

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 There are hardly any words to describe the feeling I get when I meet my brothers and sisters in Islam. Allah SWT has blessed me with one of the most precious and fantastic gifts a human being could have, and that is people who love me selflessly for His sake. Whereas many human relationships are tried and tainted by selfish desire for one thing or another, this love, this sense of safety I feel when I see my brothers and sisters is unlike any other relationship. I am reminded of this each time see them, like I did last weekend. As I looked into my sisters’ eyes, I saw nothing that was selfish, envious, mean or wanting, and I saw everything that was giving, caring and sincere. I saw people who really wanted to please their Lord for no selfish reason. I knew that I could work with them, advise them, agree and disagree with them, remind them, and they’d do the same for me. In this network, this family, on this path, I feel that I am more of a whole than a part of anything, and I am ever grateful to Allah SWT and His Messenger who established this for us. 

I want to share a bit of the recipe for this brotherhood, so that as many of us may partake in it as possible in shaa Allah:

Ta’aruf ~ we get to know one another very well, so that we love one another and we rely on one another

Tafahum ~ we share the same understanding of our purpose in life, the way life must be lived, and our end goal

Takaful ~ we strive to have full trust and respect for one another

 Tawakkul ~ we strive to have complete faith and hope in Allah SWT

I must highlight the fact that sincerity underlies all of these virtues. It is the glue that holds us together. It is their passion for Islam, their love and commitment to Allah SWT, and their constant vigil over their inner selves, which makes my brothers and sisters so committed to one another. And this has been presribed by Allah SWT and His Messenger (SAS) for all those who believe.

May He SWT keep us together at heart always, and may He for whom you love me, love you more, ameen.

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